Three's Company
by F91
Summary: Nanoha and Fate go on a trip, leaving Vivio in Yuuno's care. Can he handle it, especially after Hayate decides to lend a hand? Hayate/Yuuno, with sprinkles of NanoFate.
1. Chapter 1

Originally I just wanted to write something involving Vivio, but then I thought up a way to turn it into a Hayate/Yuuno fic. It's thanks to Satashi that I was turned on to that pairing. I've always wanted to give it a shot. There's a little NanoFate in here too, but don't expect much outside of short little fanservice scenes.

* * *

"… And here's the number you call if there's a fire…"

"Fate, I know the number for the fire department." Yuuno sighed cheerfully. His friend was being excessively worried, as usual.

"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry." She flushed. "This is just the first time we've gone away without Vivio, so…"

"Fate-chan! Hurry up or we'll miss our transport!" Nanoha called from the end of the hallway. Fate was still rooted to the doorway of Yuuno's apartment, clutching a long list of places and contact information.

"Ah, coming!" Fate responded to her partner. Yuuno took the list from her hand.

"You've been planning this trip for awhile now." He said. "Just go and enjoy yourselves. Don't worry about Vivio, I'll take good care of her. Isn't that right?" He glanced down to the child at his side. She held a pink duffle bag in her hands.

"That's right!" Vivio beamed back. Fate knelt down and hugged her daughter.

"You be a good girl for Yuuno, now. We'll only be gone for a week, so make sure you listen to what he says, and do your homework, brush your teeth, eat your veg…"

"Ok, that's enough Fate-chan." Nanoha had returned and grabbed the blonde's hand. "They'll be just fine. We can trust Yuuno-kun." She shifted her gaze to the boy and smiled. "Thanks again."

"Any time." He replied. "You just enjoy yourselves."

"We will." Nanoha assured him as she dragged Fate away. "Bye, Vivio!"

"Have a good trip!" The seven year old waved until her mamas were out of sight and the door was closed. Then she turned and looked up expectantly at her babysitter.

Even though Yuuno was confident he could care for the child, entertaining her was another issue. His apartment was effectively Spartan. It consisted of a living room, a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. The only means to pass the time was a bookshelf filled with academic and historic texts. Certainly nothing a young child would be interested in, let alone be able to comprehend. He did own a TV, so he hoped that would be sufficient to keep Vivio occupied.

"So… what would you like to do now, Vivio?" He asked. The girl looked thoughtful for a moment, until a low growl came from her midsection.

"I'm hungry!" She declared. Yuuno looked at his clock. It was indeed time for dinner.

"Ok then." He said. "Do you want anything in particular?"

Vivio paused in thought again. "Pasta!" She decided.

"Pasta it is." Yuuno went to his kitchen. Normally, it wouldn't have much in terms of food. His apartment mostly just functioned as a place to keep his bed and his clothing. But since he knew he'd be having a house guest, he made sure to stock up on perishables.

He was surprised to see said house guest had followed him into the kitchen.

"Um, it'll be ready in awhile, so why don't you go watch some TV?" He suggested. Vivio shook her head.

"I want to help!" She said. Yuuno thought about it for a moment. Pasta was rather simple to make, and since he was there, he'd make sure she didn't hurt herself.

"All right, we'll do it together, then."

"Yay!" Vivio cheered. She always loved helping her mamas cook.

"Do you know what we need to make pasta, Vivio?" Yuuno decided to quiz her.

"Um… noodles, and sauce." She counted off each ingredient on her fingers. "And we need big pots and pans to put them in!"

"That's right." He smiled. "The pots and pans are in the bottom cupboard there. Could you grab one of each?"

Vivio nodded and opened the cupboard. She reached in, and after a few tugs, pulled out a big pot that Yuuno remembered receiving as a gift. From who, he had no recollection.

"I think that one's a bit too big." He chuckled. "I could probably cook you in that one."

Vivio's eyes widened, and went between Yuuno and the pot which the small girl could very well have fit in.

"… I don't think I'd taste very good…" She said uneasily. Yuuno couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't worry Vivio, I won't eat you." He frowned a little in recollection. "You know, your Nanoha-mama almost ate me once…" In her sleep, the girl had apparently mistaken the small ferret for a baked potato. "I don't think I tasted very good, either."

"Why would Nanoha-mama try to eat you, Yuuno-san?" Vivio inquired. Her eyes shone with curiosity. Her mamas didn't really like to talk about what they were like when they were younger. Apparently, it embarrassed them.

"Well…" Yuuno wasn't too sure how to explain without having to go into the details of why he was a ferret, and why they had slept in the same bed. "She was dreaming of eating something good, and she bit me in her sleep."

"Ah! She does do that." Vivio laughed. "Sometimes she hugs me in her sleep reeeeeally tightly, and she'll start saying Fate-mama's name while rubbing her cheek in my hair."

Yuuno froze. That was extremely dangerous for entirely different reasons. He tried to laugh it off.

"Your mama hasn't changed a bit." He said. "Now, back to that pasta!"

Vivio nodded and this time took out a smaller pot and a frying pan. Yuuno nodded back his approval. He took them from her and placed them on the stove. Because he could reach, he went into a higher cupboard and took out a package of spaghetti noodles.

"Ok, so what do we do with these?" He asked.

"Boil them in water!" Was the immediate response. With a 'very good', Yuuno took the pot and put it under the faucet. After he judged it as full enough, he returned the pot to the stove and turned the heat on.

"Now we wait for it to boil." He said after putting the lid on. "Let's get the sauce ready now." He took the premade tomato sauce from a cupboard and went into the fridge for the beef he had been told to thaw out. The mamas knew their daughter well. Recalling what Fate was about to say regarding vegetables, he opened his crisper. "Hmm… some carrots would be good… and how about…" He felt the glare and glanced at the girl.

She was staring at the green bulb in his hands like one would their mortal enemy.

Yuuno sweat dropped. He had been warned about Vivio's hatred of green peppers. Well, perhaps he could cut her some slack for one night.

"You know, I don't like peppers that much either, so I'll just put this back." Yuuno put the vegetable away, much to the child's relief. He grabbed a second pan to cook the carrots in and got the knife and cutting board. Vivio couldn't do much other than watch as the young man chopped up the carrots, and started cooking them along with the meat.

"Ok, now the water is boiling." Yuuno said when the liquid bubbled violently. "Time to put in the noodles."

"Can I do it?" Vivio asked expectantly. Yuuno considered it.

"Go bring over a chair." He said, opening the package. Vivio followed his instructions and stood on the piece of furniture. Yuuno judged her current height to be safe enough. He gave her the bag of noodles. "Put them in very slowly. We don't want boiling water to splash on you."

"Ok!" She cheered as she took fists full of noodles and slowly dropped them into the pot. Yuuno told her to stop when she put in enough for the two of them.

"Stir them nice and slowly." He said, handing the girl a large spoon.

Many minutes later, the carrots were cooked, the meat was brown, and the noodles were soft. Yuuno mixed the carrots, meat, and tomato sauce together, and let it heat. Then he checked on the noodles.

"So Vivio, are the noodles done?"

"Hmm…" She thought. "I don't know. Maybe?"

"There's one way to check for sure." He said, taking the spoon. He fished out a noodle, blew the heat away, picked it up, and tossed it against the wall. "It stuck, so that means it's ready."

"Wow!" Vivio gasped. "That's so cool! Let me try!" Yuuno fished out another noodle, blew on it, and let Vivio throw it against the wall. It too did not fall. "Ooooh! I got to throw food at the wall!" She giggled.

Yuuno smiled. "Now we shut off the stove, drain the noodles and it's time to eat!"

And so they ate. Vivio seemed more interested in her meal, than idle conversation, so it was relatively silent. They devoured their pasta and washed it down with tall glasses of milk.

"Thanks for the meal." Vivio said. She must have been really hungry because she had three plates. There were no leftovers. Yuuno hoped she wasn't too full, though. He had a special treat for her.

"I hope you left room for dessert." He smiled, opening his freezer. He pulled out two tubs. "Do you want chocolate or vanilla?"

Vivio almost jumped out of her seat. "Chocolate!" She cried happily. Ice cream never failed to make a child happy. Yuuno scooped out two helpings of chocolate ice cream and sat back down. Vivio took a spoonful of the stuff and closed her eyes in delight as it met her tongue.

"Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama only let me have ice cream on special occasions." She explained.

"Well, getting to spend the week with me counts as special, don't you think?" Yuuno prayed that was enough. He didn't want the two mages to blast him for spoiling their daughter.

"Yup!"

"So what will we do after we're done eating? Do you still have homework to do?"

"Nope! I did all of it before coming here!"

"That's good." Meaning Yuuno would have to find something for them to do for the rest of the night. Guess it was time to rely on the old boob tube. "Then we'll clean up here and watch some TV."

"Kay!"

After they were done, Yuuno tossed everything into the dish washer. God bless technology. Letting the machine do all the dirty work, the pair went into the living room. Yuuno sat on the couch first, and was surprised when the little girl hoped onto his lap.

"This is how I always watch TV with my mamas!" She explained. Not one to argue, Yuuno let it be and turned on the TV. He had no idea what children could watch at this hour, so he flipped through the channels, hoping to stumble upon a cartoon or something.

"Oh, go back! Go back!" Vivio cried. Yuuno blinked in confusion and went back a few channels. "There!"

"_No one knows why exactly the mighty Mycenae Empire fell…"_

Yuuno blinked again. The history channel?

"_The whereabouts of the legendary Bardos Island had been referenced to in several texts, but the island itself has never been discovered."_

Surprisingly, Vivio seemed to be really drawn into it. Yuuno had no idea images of ruined buildings and ancient text could cause a child's eyes to sparkle so.

"So you like this stuff?" He asked.

"Yup! I want to learn as much as possible!" Vivio nodded enthusiastically. "I want to know more about the past, especially the person I was based on!"

"I see." It was true that the girl was the clone of an ancient king. Her connection to history was a very strong one. As they continued watching the program, Yuuno squinted. For some reason it seemed very familiar…

"_My findings suggest that the empire fell when one of its greatest heroes, disgusted with the way his people treated the locals, staged a rebellion."_

"Ah! Yuuno-san's on TV!" Vivio cheered. Yuuno groaned. That's why it was familiar. He helped make the thing. He couldn't help but be embarrassed any time he saw himself on TV. It was just so… weird.

"I'll… uh… go start the bath!" He gently placed Vivio onto the couch and made his escape.

Yuuno ran the water, ensuring that the temperature was just right before letting it fill. When he returned to the living room, he saw that the credits had started rolling.

"Ready for your bath, Vivio?" He asked. The girl sprang off the couch and walked up to him.

"Yup!" Though she said that, she didn't move. She just looked up at Yuuno expectantly.

"Well… Go ahead." He said, not too sure what her look meant.

"Aren't you coming too, Yuuno-san?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Uh… I'll take my bath after you." He said. Vivio glanced shyly to the floor.

"I… can't take a bath by myself." She admitted. "I need some one to wash my hair…"

Yuuno sighed. "Guess there's no helping it… Let's take a bath together, then."

Vivio brightened again. "Okay!" She skipped her way to the bathroom, where she stripped and carefully placed her clothes into the laundry basket. Yuuno followed suit, letting his hair out and making sure he wrapped a towel around his waist. He didn't want to have to answer any awkward anatomy questions.

Vivio was obviously familiar with the routine, as she placed the bath stool under the shower, turned it on briefly to get wet, got some soup, sat down and began washing herself.

"Yuuno-san, can you wash my back, please?" She asked.

"As you command, your highness." He joked. He got some soap himself and washed the girl's back. She turned on the shower and rinsed off the lather, making sure her hair was wet in the process. Now that she was ready, Yuuno squeezed out some shampoo into his hand and got to work. He had never washed some one else's hair before, but he imagined it wouldn't be any more difficult than washing his own hair. He made extra sure not to let any foam get into Vivio's face.

"Do you always get your mamas to wash your hair for you?" He asked.

"Yup!"

"And do you get to wash theirs, too?" Yuuno couldn't see the girl's expression, but she went silent for a moment.

"No. Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama say I have to wait until I'm older…" She frowned.

"Well… I guess they don't want to risk something happening… They say that a woman's hair is her life." He felt the girl stiffen. She slowly turned her head towards him, her eyes on the verge of tears.

"So if I touched their hair, they could..."

Yuuno cursed at himself. He did a good job on that one. "Ah, no! It's just a saying! There's no truth to it… uh… I know! You can wash my hair! I'm a guy, so there's no problem!"

His attempt to placate her proved successful, as her eyes regained their prior sparkle. "Really? You mean it?"

"Of course. You can use me as practise for when you get older."

"Yay!"

Yuuno finished up with her hair, and she ran the shower again, getting rid of the suds. Then they switched positions.

"Yuuno-san's hair is long and pretty like my mamas'!" Vivio noted.

"Uh, yeah. I'm usually so busy with work that I don't have time to get it cut. Before I knew it, it had gotten this long." Vivio started in on his hair while Yuuno washed the rest of himself. He could feel the child's clumsy, but gentle hands as they rubbed at his scalp and spread froth down his locks. There were a few sharp tugs when she ran into knots, but it was nothing excruciatingly painful.

When it was done, he rinsed off and the two of them soaked in the tub. After relaxing for a bit, it was time to get out. Yuuno pulled the plug in the tub, and grabbed some towels. They dried themselves off and put on their pyjamas. Vivio's consisted only of a knee length t-shirt and underwear, while Yuuno wore a shirt and pants made of light fabric.

"Can I brush your hair, too?" The girl suddenly asked.

"Sure." He grabbed his ribbon and brush and headed back to the living room. He sat on the floor while Vivio perched herself on the couch behind him. The TV continued showing the history channel.

Vivio ran the brush through his slightly damp hair with the same soft fumbling she had washed it with. When she finished, she reached for the ribbon so she could tie his hair the way he always wore it.

"Hm? This ribbon…"

"What is it, Vivio?"

"Nanoha-mama has a ribbon just like this!" She said.

"Well of course." He replied. "She's the one who gave it to me."

"And you always use it? You must like Nanoha-mama a lot!"

Yuuno smiled listlessly. "Yeah, I do." A bit too much, he added mentally.

After that they watched some more TV before Vivio yawned and declared that it was her bed time. She plodded off to brush her teeth.

Yuuno had intended to sleep on his couch while the child used his bed. However, the pleading look she gave him after he tucked her in had different ideas.

"… Do you want me to sleep with you?" He guessed. Vivio nodded. Yuuno imagined she always slept with Nanoha and Fate as well. Going from that to sleeping alone in an unfamiliar room might be a bit too much for the young girl. "Ok then." He said as he climbed in with her. "Good night, Vivio."

"Good night, Yuuno-san." He couldn't help but admire how quickly she fell asleep after saying that. His consciousness lingered a bit longer.

'Well, so far so good.' He mused. 'This isn't so hard. I'm sure the week will fly by.'

And on that thought he fell asleep.

X-X-X

As soon as they were unpacked and settled into their hotel room, Fate went for the phone. She wanted to call Yuuno and see how they were doing. Did they eat? Was Vivio behaving? Did Yuuno have any questions about the trip itinerary?

"Geeze, Fate-chan, what are you doing?" Nanoha pouted.

"I just want to check in and see how she's doing…"

"Yuuno-kun is taking care of her. They'll be fine."

"I know, but…"

Nanoha sighed. Her partner was such a worry wart. This trip was supposed to be fun! Then the brunette grinned. She knew just how to take the blonde's mind off of things.

"Nanoha! What are you doing? If you touch me there… Aaaaah!"

Oh yes, they were going to have fun all right.

* * *

This chapter might have been a bit dull, I think. But things should get more interesting once I bring Hayate into the picture.

I went with pasta cuz it really is easy to make. Even I can do it. Also, too much Hetalia is partially the blame. When I first learned of the throwing the noodles against the wall to see if it was cooked trick a few years ago, I thought it was the awesomest thing ever.

The Mycenae Empire mentioned here is not referencing the actual historical version. I used the Shin Mazinger version.


	2. Chapter 2

When Yuuno woke up, he felt an unfamiliar weight on his arm. He peeked under the covers to see that the small child had latched onto him at some point during the night; her angelic face remained lax with sleep.

Not wanting to wake her, Yuuno lay back down and closed his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he let himself sleep in.

…

…

He suddenly felt like he was forgetting something.

…

…

Didn't Vivio have to go to school?

"Crap!" Yuuno shot up and looked at his clock. It was twenty after seven and school started at eight. "Vivio, wake up!" He gently prodded the girl.

"Good morning…" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She looked confused for a moment, but then remembered where she was. "… Yuuno-san."

"Hurry up and put your uniform on." He instructed, quickly grabbing clothes for himself. "Aaah… We're going to be late…" Things had gone so well the night before that Yuuno had let his guard down. He rushed out of the room to change while Vivio slowly went over to her bag and took out her school uniform.

Yuuno made it to the kitchen before she did, but there was no time to make a decent breakfast. He imagined that Nanoha and Fate would cook a balanced meal every morning, but today Vivio would have to settle for a bowl of cereal.

Yuuno shovelled his cold meal into his mouth, while Vivio didn't seem to be in any particular rush. They went about brushing their teeth in a similar manner.

"Do you have everything, Vivio?" He asked, checking his clock. It was seven thirty-five.

"I don't have a lunch." She said, prompting Yuuno to slap a hand over his face. He hadn't planned for a bento, so he fished out his wallet and gave the girl some money.

"You're going to have to buy something at the school store, ok? I'll make sure you have a lunch tomorrow."

"Ok!" Vivio replied as she stuffed the bills into her pocket. They hurried off and went through the procedure to get down to the surface, and Yuuno slowed down when the Saint Church run magic school was in sight.

"Looks like we made it…" He sighed.

"Good morning, Vivio!"

Vivio turned around at the call. "Ah! Corona! Good morning!"

Corona noticed Yuuno and gave him a polite bow. He returned the gesture.

"Well, Vivio, I guess we'll part here." He said. "I'll be back to pick you up when school is out."

"Ok! See you later, Yuuno-san!" She waved as he departed.

"Who was that person?" Corona asked her friend.

"That's Yuuno-san, some one who's known my mamas for a long time! I'm staying with him while my mamas are on vacation."

"I see." Corona replied. "How is it so far?"

"Good!" Vivio beamed. "I like Yuuno-san! He's really nice!"

X-X-X

Yuuno finally relaxed as he sunk into his chair at the library. It certainly had been one hectic morning, and he would make sure history didn't repeat itself. But he had gotten the girl safely to her school on time so now he could focus on the stack of books on his desk.

As usual, Chrono had requested a mountain of material from him, however compared to Vivio, it was certainly an easier task. Yuuno searched for the list he had made of the books the admiral wanted, but he couldn't quite remember where it had ended up.

He eventually found it after getting on all fours and looking under his desk. When he rose, his eyes met a familiar rear end that had propped itself up on the corner of his desk.

"Good morning, Yuuno-kun." Owner of said rear end cheerfully greeted.

"Same to you, Hayate." He said back, looking up at his visitor.

Of all his childhood friends, Hayate was the one who utilized the library the most. Being a special investigator, she was always assigned to the more rare and bizarre cases. As such, knowing what she was up against took a lot more research. She was a familiar enough face that the entire female staff would cover their chests when they saw her.

Naturally, Yuuno would assist her personally. Sometimes they'd spend hours in the stacks together, searching for relevant information. Yuuno might not have been that close to Hayate when they were kids, but now he considered her a friend on the same level as Nanoha and Fate.

"What can I do for you today?" He asked.

"Nothing, really." She answered. "I just came to thank you. That information you got me really helped in closing that case I was working on."

"Oh right, that one. That sure was an obscure item you came across."

"Once I knew what it did, taking down the culprit was a breeze."

"I'm glad I was able to assist you."

"So in return I thought you'd like to know," Hayate leaned in closer. "Your assistant's bust has gained a centimetre."

"Please stop groping my employees." He frowned. If it was one thing his friend seemed to love the most, it was getting a rise out of him. Over time he had developed a bit of a tolerance to her teasing.

"No good, huh…? Ok, then how about I let you check on my growth?" She purred, puffing her chest out.

"Stop teasing me like that." Yuuno flushed a little. It was just a _bit_ of tolerance.

"Me? Tease you? Why, I have no idea what you're talking about." She fluttered her eyelashes innocently.

"Such a trouble maker as usual."

"Oh? Whatever do you mean?" She stuck her tongue out this time.

"Remember last year's Halloween party?"

"… At least everyone kept their clothes on that time." She smirked. Yuuno groaned and covered his face with his hand to hide his blush.

"You had to remind me…"

"You know you enjoyed it." Satisfied she'd gotten him that flustered, she laughed, the sound of it never failing to turn his frown upside down. One never stayed mad at Hayate Yagami for long. "Fine then. To make it up to you, how about I treat you to a fancy dinner tonight?"

Yuuno coughed, as he often did, to regain his composure. "Sorry, but I have to pass. I'm looking after Vivio now."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Hayate bopped her fist into her upturned palm in realization. "Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan are on their little getaway right now. Guess I lost track of the date." Her smile seemed to wane a little, but then grew into a grin. "Well, if that's the case… I guess it can't be helped." She hopped down from the desk. "I'll see you around then, Yuuno-kun."

Yuuno was actually kind of surprised by the brevity of her visit. She wasn't one to give up so easily.

X-X-X

As Yuuno was accustomed to working long hours into the night, he couldn't remember the last time he clocked out when the sun was still up. He bid his employees good day and made his way to the school Vivio attended. When he arrived he saw the girl waiting for him at the gate.

"Yuuno-san!" She waved when she saw him.

"Hey Vivio," he smiled when he reached her. "Are you all ready go to?"

"Yup!" She took his hand and they begun walking back.

"So how was school today?"

"It was a lot of fun!" She beamed. "We got to watch a movie about the founding of the Saint Church!"

"Oh? That must have been interesting, especially for you."

"It was kinda weird." She giggled. "But the Saint Kaiser was amazing!"

"I'm sure you'll grow up to be a person just like her." He assured her.

"I want to be more like Nanoha-mama, though!" She decided. "I'll become a mage just like her!"

"… For everyone's sake, I hope you become some one much more… reserved than Nanoha." Yuuno chuckled nervously.

"What do you mean?" Vivio blinked up at him.

"Just remember, everything in moderation… especially attack magic."

"Moderation…" The child repeated slowly, committing the word to memory.

X-X-X

When they returned to the apartment, Vivio quickly scampered off to change out of her uniform. Yuuno merely loosened the top buttons of his shirt and dropped down onto his couch. The child joined him there a few minutes later.

"Now, what should we do tonight?" He wondered out loud.

"Well, I have some homework to do." Vivio informed him.

"Anything you need help with?"

"Hmmm… I don't know." She admitted.

"Well, if you need help just let me know, ok?"

"Ok!" Vivio ran off again and returned with her backpack. She sat on the floor, taking out her books and placing them on the coffee table in front of her.

Smiling when he saw her pull out a pencil with a bunny shaped eraser, Yuuno considered what he should do in the meantime. Going over to his bookshelf, he decided on a tome about the ancient Lucrecian Empire that he hadn't read in awhile and sat back on the couch. It would serve as a decent time waster until he had to start preparing dinner.

Time passed in relative silence, only interrupted by the occasional "hmmm" and "aha!" from the little girl. Just when Yuuno slipped in a bookmark and got up to head to the kitchen, his doorbell rang.

"Hm? I'm not expecting anyone…" He wondered.

"I'll get it!" Vivio bounced to her feet and dashed to the door.

"Hold on, Vivio." Yuuno followed after her. "We don't know who…"

"Ah!" He heard Vivio's surprised squeak and quickly poked his head around the corner.

"Ah!" He also made a surprised noise when he saw the brunette in the threshold.

"Commander Hayate!" Vivio cheered, wrapping her arms around the older woman's legs.

"Good evening Vivio, Yuuno-kun." Hayate greeted, smiling down at the girl.

"Hayate?" Yuuno blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry for intruding." She stepped in once Vivio let her go. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, it's ok. I'm just confused." He answered.

"I still need to show my thanks, remember? And since I can't take you to dinner…" She lifted the plastic bag she held in one hand. Through the translucent plastic Yuuno could vaguely make out various food wrappers. "I decided to take dinner to you."

"You didn't need to…"

"Well, I did." Hayate stuck out her tongue. "You don't mind having dinner with me, right Vivio?"

"Not at all!" Vivio grinned.

"That settles it then!" Hayate grinned back. Yuuno sighed, clearly having no choice in the matter. Not that he was against it or anything; he would be a real moron if he turned down a chance to eat Hayate's legendary cooking. He just didn't want to trouble her.

"Well, if you're ok with it…" Yuuno said.

"If I wasn't I wouldn't be here." Hayate assured him before heading further inside. She had never been to her friend's apartment before, but it was as sparsely decorated and efficient as she thought it would be. She easily spotted the kitchen with her initial sweep and entered it, setting her groceries on the table. She then spun around to the two blondes that had followed her.

"It'll take a bit, so you two go find something to do, ok?" She said.

"Of course I'll assist you." Yuuno said.

"I'll help too!" Vivio added.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be just fine on my own." Hayate smiled back.

"But…" Vivio began to protest but Hayate crouched down to the girl's eyelevel.

"This is something special I'm doing just for you and Yuuno-kun, so it's important that I do it on my own. I promise you can help me next time, ok?"

"Ok!" Vivio brightened upon hearing that last part and went back to her homework. Yuuno remained.

"I really should lend a hand." He said.

"I appreciate it, Yuuno-kun, but like I said, this is something I'm doing for you, so it won't mean as much if you help me with it." Hayate replied, putting her hands on her hips before turning away from him. He watched silently as she went through his cupboards, learning where everything was.

"So your cutting board is up here…" She mumbled, opening the very top cupboard. Yuuno watched in amusement as Hayate attempted to reach the board on the top shelf but only grabbed air. Even hopping on her tip toes wasn't enough.

Even if Hayate often got the better of him, there was one thing Yuuno could always, quite literally, hold over her.

"Need help?" he couldn't help asking with a grin. The girl turned to him with that pouty expression she always wore when he pointed out her lack of height.

"Geeze Yuuno-kun, I said I can handle it!" She huffed, making her way over to him and pushing him out of the room. "You just go play with Vivio."

Yuuno knew she wouldn't listen to any objections, so he let himself be kicked out of his own kitchen. He chuckled softly upon hearing the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor and then he rejoined Vivio who had resumed scribbling in her notebook.

X-X-X

Nanoha hummed softly as hot water sprayed from the shower head all over her body, washing off the soap she had applied earlier. She was washing up in preparation for a fancy dinner at a high class restaurant and could hardly wait to share a romantic meal with Fate.

So lost in her anticipation, she failed to notice the other presence until two soft objects were pressed against her back and a pair of hands snaked around her waist.

"Eep!" She yelped in surprise before holding back a smirk. "Well now I know Fate-chan wouldn't do something so bold, so I guess some stranger has snuck into our room and is now molesting me in the shower."

"Don't worry, your lover will never know…" A voice said in a low whisper.

Nanoha couldn't hold it any longer.

"Nyahahahaha! Fate-chan you still suck at sounding dangerous. You're just too cute to pull it off."

"Nanohaaaa!" Fate leaned back and pouted.

"Hehe, well, not that I'm complaining, but what brought this on?" The brunette asked.

"I was told I should be spontaneous occasionally or else you'll get bored with me." The blonde answered.

"Don't worry Fate-chan," Nanoha grinned, turning her head back and kissing Fate's soft lips. This caused the desired reaction of Fate's cheeks matching her eyes. "I'll never get tired of that reaction."

"Nanoha…"

"Now… Why don't you show me what big bad Fate-chan has in mind for poor defenceless old me?"

* * *

I actually had pretty much this entire chapter done to this point ages ago, but I intended for it to be much longer and cover the rest of the evening. Didn't really get the urge to work on this one, though, possibly from percieved lack of reader interest *shrugs* Well I know Nanya has been waiting for it, and looking at my poll results 5 others were too, so I added a NanoFate scene to the end and posted it.

Speaking of NanoFate scenes, I'd like to extend an offer to anyone interested. If you'd like to write a short scene of what Nanoha and Fate are doing on their vacation, please feel free to submit it (via PM or e-mail) and I may include it in future chapters. Keep in mind that I won't use all of them and I may need to tweak them to fit the story better. Full credit will go to the one who submitted it, naturally, so if you feel up to it, fire away!


	3. Chapter 3

Yuuno didn't even get a chance to reopen his book before Vivio knitted her eyebrows and stared hard at her text.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"I don't get this question!" She pointed at her book. Yuuno took a seat on the floor next to her and read the question she indicated.

"… Huh?" Yuuno arched a brow as he read the words.

"I just don't get it." The child repeated. "Why would Mr Luthor steal forty cakes? Can't he just buy some cakes? Those are pies, anyways!"

"That's terrible." Yuuno muttered before shaking his head. It really was a simple math problem that Vivio could answer easily, but the fact that she was seriously questioning the question itself showed that her thought processes were at a higher level than what her age would suggest.

"You don't need to think that hard about it." Yuuno patted her head. "You know the answer, right?"

"I do." She nodded. "But it's still silly!"

"You're right, it is silly." He smiled. "But let's forgive it, okay?"

"Okay!" Vivio smiled and wrote down the answer.

For the next while Yuuno just sat there and watched the girl work. She went about it quite efficiently, only occasionally asking him for clarification. A few times Yuuno noticed her making a mistake and pointed it out to her, at which time she'd reconsider until she found the correct answer.

As time went on a tantalizing aroma drifted in from the kitchen, causing Vivio to increase her pace. She polished off the rest of her work briskly and then submitted it to her babysitter for approval. He read through it, nodding continuously as he did so.

"Great work, Vivio." He said. "You got everything right."

"Yay!" She grinned.

"Perfect timing." Hayate poked her head into the room. "Dinner is served!"

The two blonds got up and entered the kitchen, making sure to wash their hands before sitting down. Yuuno smiled as Hayate placed his meal in front of him.

His meal smiled back.

"What are these?" He asked, skewering the happy face with his fork and holding it up.

"You've never had smiley face potatoes before?" Hayate grinned, presenting Vivio with her meal.

"They're so cute!" The little girl giggled.

"Hm…" Yuuno bit through the crispy outer layer and into the fluffy interior. "Cute and delicious."

Also on the plate was a juicy looking pork chop, a pile of apple sauce and a side of fried vegetables.

"Mid style of meal." Yuuno noted.

"Yup, of course back home we call it western style." Hayate explained. "Since Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan usually stick with japanese meals, I figured Vivio might like something different."

"Chopsticks are hard!" Vivio pouted before smiling again. "Thank you, Commander Hayate!"

"You're welcome." Hayate chuckled as she took her seat. "But you know, Vivio, you can stop calling me by my rank. You can just call me Hayate-chan like your mama does."

"I can't do that." Vivio suddenly looked serious. "At first I called Yuuno-san 'Yuuno-kun' like Nanoha-mama does but she said it's not polite for me to address adults like that... So I should call you Hayate-oba…"

"Vivio, if you finish that thought I'm going to be very angry." Even though she smiled, Yuuno felt the child down his spine.

"Hayate-san…" Vivio squeaked.

"Much better." She nodded, popping an apple sauce soaked piece of pig into her mouth. "Now hurry up and eat your vegetables."

Vivio looked at the peppers as if they had killed her dog before casting a hopeful glance in Yuuno's direction.

The male made to open his mouth, but there was a quick blow against his leg. "… Vivio, eat your vegetables." He put a piece of pepper in his own mouth and crunched down on it. He didn't like the taste himself, but the years he was supported by his tribe taught him to not be picky. Though he had to admit that the way Hayate prepared it made it much easier on his palette than usual.

He was rewarded for his actions with a gentle rub down his leg.

"Okay…" Vivio pouted before putting the green into her mouth and reluctantly chewing it.

"Good girl." Hayate took a bite of her own greens. "If you clean your plate I got some pudding for desert."

"Pudding?" Vivio brightened, speeding up her intake.

"Don't go so fast," Yuuno warned. "You might cho…"

It was too late because the little blond already started coughing. Both adults immediately shot to their feet and went to Vivio's side. They rubbed her back while urging her to keep coughing. The hacking eventually subsided and the child washed away the rest with a drink.

"Are you okay?" Yuuno asked.

"I'm okay now…" Vivio nodded. "Sorry…"

"Geeze, the pudding into going anywhere so there's no need to rush." Hayate lightly tapped the girl's nose. "You need to take time and savour my delicious cooking."

"Yes m'am…" Vivio slumped.

"You're fine now so that's all that matters." Yuuno went back to his seat.

"Vita and Rein were the same way." Hayate noted. "When I'd serve them hamburgers they'd just inhale the stuff and end up choking on it too. So don't sweat it, kid, it happens to the best of us."

"Okay." Vivio nodded before brightening a bit and resumed eating. This time she made sure to take slow, careful bites.

The rest of the meal with on without incident. They cleared their plates, had their pudding, and said their thanks.

Yuuno rose to take the plates to the sink, but Hayate stopped him.

"I'm still in the process of repaying you, Yuuno-kun, so I'll handle the clean up as well."

"I can't…"

"Yes you can." She bumped him aside with a smile. "You and Vivio should go watch T.V. or something in the meantime."

Knowing that arguing with her wouldn't work, he just shrugged. "Okay, let's go Vivio."

The two Mid Childans left the kitchen, leaving the Japanese girl alone to handle the mess.

X-X-X

"Wow, that guy has a lot of books in his head!" Vivio said as she pointed at the screen. On it was a young man walking through stacks of books against a white background. The number of books dwindled as a detective fed the young man key words.

"He sure does." Yuuno replied to the girl in his lap. "If only the Infinity Library worked that conveniently."

"Yeah, you could find what you want super easily!"

"Possibly." Yuuno shrugged. "Then again he only has the knowledge of a single planet to search through. The Infinity Library has information on the entire universe."

"That's a lot of books." Vivio looked up at him with awe. "And you're in charge of all of it! That's amazing!"

"You think so?" Yuuno scratched his cheek. He wasn't used to getting such praise. Most people thought his job was incredibly boring.

"I wish I could work there too!"

"Well then sometime I'll be sure to teach you some search magic so you can find whatever book you want too."

"Really?" Vivio bounced around in his lap and hugged him. "Thank you very much Yuuno-san!"

"You're welcome." He chuckled softly.

"You two certainly get along well." Hayate said when she walked in.

"Yup!" Vivio gave a toothy grin.

"All done?" Yuuno asked.

"You bet." Hayate plopped down on the couch next to him. "So what are we watching?"

"Apparently it's a super hero show from Earth."

"Ah, I recognise it." Hayate nodded sagely. "Yeah, it was popular in Japan back in the day."

"It's pretty cool!" Vivio chirped in. "Someday I'm gonna beat up the bad guys just like them!"

"Just remember what I told you before, Vivio." Yuuno said.

"I know, moderation, right?"

"That's right." Yuuno patted her head.

"Hm? What's all this about?" Hayate tilted her head.

"Just something between us, Hayate." Yuuno smiled. "Right, Vivio?"

"Yup!" The child replied.

"No fair, keeping secrets from me." Hayate pursed her lips.

They all turned their attention back to the screen as the hero pointed a dramatic finger at a monster.

"_Now, count up your sins!"_

X-X-X

"It's getting late." Hayate spoke some time later. "I think it's time for our bath."

"Okay!" Vivio looked up, having moved to the older girl's lap at some point. They both rose and made for the bathroom. "Aren't you coming too?" She asked when she noticed Yuuno didn't move.

"I'll take my bath when you're done." He said. "Hayate's here to help you, so you don't need me to go in with you."

"Aww… How come the three of us can't all go together?" Vivio pouted.

"Uh, well…" Yuuno glanced at Hayate.

"I don't mind at all." She grinned.

"I should have known you'd say that…" He flushed at the prospect. "You see, Vivio, normally it's not okay for men and women to take baths together."

"Why not?" Vivio asked. "We took a bath together last night!"

"Oh ho, did you now…" Hayate smirked.

Ignoring her, Yuuno went on. "That's different. It's okay for adults to bathe with children, but two adults would need to be in a special relationship."

"Special relationship?" Vivio blinked. "Like my mamas?"

"Yes, like that." Yuuno nodded. "It's okay if the two people like each other."

"So then…" Vivio frowned. "You don't like Hayate-san?"

"Say it isn't so!" Hayate held a hand to her chest dramatically.

"No, I like Hayate very much." Yuuno explained. "But there are different kinds of 'like.' I mean, you like me right? But it's different from the way you like your mamas."

"Oh…" The girl seemed to ponder that. "So it's okay for me to take a bath with Yuuno-san, but not okay for Yuuno-san to take a bath with Hayate-san? But I can take a bath with Hayate-san?"

"That's right." Yuuno was glad she understood and he didn't have to explain any further. Wasn't teaching her these things Nanoha and Fate's job?

"And it's okay if I take a bath with my mamas, right?"

"Of course it is." Yuuno blinked. "You're their daughter, so of course it's okay. Even if you weren't, like I said adults bathing with children is fine, and on top of that girls bathing with each other is fine no matter what, so Hayate could bathe with your mamas no problem."

"Well, sometimes my mamas say I can't take a bath with them." Vivio kicked at the floor. "They say it's the only chance they get to have 'special time' since I sleep with them. What are they talking about?"

"Uh…" Yuuno gulped. He really didn't want to envision what his friends did together alone in the bath… Well, maybe part of him did… "You're not helping." He muttered when all Hayate did was laugh.

"I can't help it, your face is priceless!" She managed to say between giggles. "Listen, Vivio, when two people are in a special relationship like your mamas, they just want some time alone without anyone else around. That's why they went on vacation, so they could have as much 'special time' as possible."

"But what is 'special time'?"

"You'll find out when you're older."

"Okay… Well, I still wish Yuuno-san could join us…" Vivio sulked. "I wanted to play with his hair again!"

"You can still play with it after I'm done my bath." He said.

"Really? Okay then!" She hopped and went on her way. Hayate followed after her, but poked her head back into the living room.

"If you want to peek, I'll allow it." She winked.

"I would never…" He blushed before the brunette laughed and disappeared. He then turned the volume up on the TV in an attempt to drown out the inevitable sounds of splashes and giggles, least they stir his imagination.

X-X-X

Some time later, Vivio came padding back into the room.

"All clean!" She declared.

"I can see that." Yuuno smiled as he ran a hand over her still damp hair. "Did you have fun in the bath with Hayate?"

"Yup! And you know what?"

"Ah, that was a good bath…" Hayate entered.

"Hayate-san boobs are way smaller than my mamas'!"

"Why you little!" Hayate pounced, quickly capturing the child and subjecting her to the terrifying tickle torture. "You didn't need to tell him that!"

"I'm sorry, Hayate-san!" Vivio managed to say during her giggle fit.

"She's right, Vivio." Yuuno cleared his throat and got the girls' attention. "You didn't need to tell me something that I can tell just by looking."

"HEY!" Hayate snapped, hands going to her hips. "Even if it is true, for Yuuno-kun to say such a thing... You've been hanging out with Chrono-kun too much. He's a bad influence."

"Well, it's not like size is everything." He said, cautiously taking a glance at the objects in question. They were rather big and quite nice in their own right, pressing snugly against the yellow fabric of her cat print pyjamas. The top few buttons were undone, providing a window into the valley of the gods.

Wait a minute.

"Why are you wearing pyjamas?" Yuuno commented on something he admitted he should have noticed earlier. The answer to his question was quite obvious.

"Because I just came out of the bath." She answered innocently. "Did you think I was just going to change back into the clothes I've been wearing all day?"

"… Would you like to spend the night, Hayate?" Yuuno sighed, not wanting to drag out the conversation. Apparently he had failed to notice the overnight bag she had brought in with the groceries.

"Oh I don't want to impose, but if you insist…" Hayate stuck out her tongue. Yuuno didn't mind letting her stay, but he'd have preferred she just ask him instead of going about it in such a roundabout manner.

"Hey, Yuuno-san." Vivio tugged on his sleeve. "Can you go take your bath now please?"

The sparkle in her eyes made him chuckle. "Yes, yes, I'm going right now."

X-X-X

Yuuno opted to just take a shower to be done faster, and soon he returned to the living room with his moist hair flowing freely and his glasses kept in his pocket.

"Who are you?" Hayate faked a gasp when she saw him.

"Ha ha." He rolled his eyes before chuckling when he saw Vivio resting her head against the arm of the couch. "She fell asleep already? Now who's going to do my hair?"

"Let me do it then." Hayate waved him over to the floor in front of her. With a shrug he obliged and sat before the brunette, handing her his brush and ribbon.

"So you're still using this…" She muttered as she rubbed the ribbon between her fingers.

"What was that?" Yuuno asked.

"Nothing." She smiled and began stroking his hair. "For a guy who spends most of his time around dusty books or digging through the dirt, your hair is gorgeous. I'm so jealous."

"You have nice hair too." He stated as he closed his eyes. Unlike Vivio's clumsy hands, Hayate's moved with years of practise. "You've been letting it grow recently, haven't you? It suits you."

"Really? Thanks." Hayate blinked, surprised yet quite pleased that he had noticed. A few moments of comfortable silence passed before she spoke again. "I guess I should apologise to you for just dropping in like that. I should have asked you first."

"Don't worry about it, Hayate. If it bothered me that much, I'd have told you."

"Would you really?" She whispered.

"Well, it is nice to have some help with Vivio, so I'm glad you're here." Yuuno went on. "Fate offered to send Arf to help, but she's got her hands full on Earth with Karel and Liera. I thought I could handle things myself, but I don't want to risk another close call like this morning."

"What happened this morning?"

"Had to rush a bit to get Vivio to school, and she still left without a lunch." He would have shaken his head if Hayate wasn't holding it still. "So don't worry about it, you're welcome to stay."

"Thanks." She gave a small laugh. "I was worried you'd kick me out if I asked since all I seem to do is annoy you."

"Oh that's not true." Yuuno snorted. "Now Chrono, all he does is annoy me. Compared to him, Hayate, you're my angel." Indeed, Chrono's antics were always mean spirited while everything Hayate did had good humour behind it. Thinking about Chrono always ruffled his feathers, but if Yuuno thought about Hayate's stunts, it always brought a smile to his face. "I like spending time with you."

"O-Oh… I'm glad." Hayate was thankful that he couldn't see her face at that moment.

"Whenever I have a bad day I can always count on you to cheer me up." Yuuno continued. "And you're always helping me out."

"I'd say you help me out a lot more."

"I'm just doing my job."

"That's not right." Hayate scolded. "You could easily pass me off to one of your other employees, but instead you always take the time to help me personally. That means a lot."

"… Do you remember when we first met?" He asked suddenly.

"You mean when we were first formally introduced?" Hayate replied. "Yeah, Nanoha-chan brought me to see you when I wanted to create Rein and you helped me research the process of making unison devices. That was the first of many times you've helped me out, so…"

"I'm talking about before that." He clarified.

"Then you mean during the fight against the defence program?"

"Before that."

Hayate's hands twitched. "… Wow, I didn't think you remembered that…"

"Of course." Yuuno smiled softly. "It was one of the few days where I decided to explore Uminari in my human form and I came across the local library. I was interested in further studying the planet, but I had no idea who this Dewy guy was so I was totally lost." He chuckled. "That was when a cute, wheelchair bound girl about my age approached me and offered to help me out. She showed me where everything was and even got me a library card."

"People were always helping me," Hayate spoke. "But whenever I tried to help back they'd always refuse in light of my condition. So when this weird, lost looking foreign boy graciously let me assist him, I was pretty happy."

"Hey, who was a weird foreign boy?"

Hayate giggled. "When I saw you again months later during Christmas I was pretty surprised. I didn't get a chance to talk to you again because of everything that happened, and when I finally did I thought you might have forgotten about me."

"I thought the same." Yuuno chuckled sheepishly. "Well, in any case I'm happy we were able to become friends."

"Me too."

"Hm?" The child stirred beside them, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. "Ah! Hayate-san, no fair! I was…" Vivio blinked before she burst into giggles. "Yuuno-san's hair looks so funny!"

"Huh?" Yuuno's hand went to his head where he felt several tails branching out in various directions. 'Crap, I was so relaxed I didn't notice what she was doing!'

"It looks good on you, Yuuno-kun!" Hayate's attempt to contain herself failed and she whipped out her cell phone to snap a few photos.

"Hayate!" He huffed, pulling his hair free from her machinations.

"Awww, why did you go and ruin my work?" She grinned.

"Looks like I can't trust Hayate with my hair." Yuuno shook his head. "But I can trust you, right Vivio?"

"Yup!" Vivio yawned mid nod.

"It'll have to wait until tomorrow night." Yuuno decided. "But for now it's bed time."

"Aw…" Vivio moped for a split second before lighting up again. "Tonight I get to sleep with not just Yuuno-san, but Hayate-san too right?"

"I'm sorry, but you'll just be sleeping with Hayate tonight."

"But why?" Vivio pleaded.

Rather than explain why it wasn't okay for him and Hayate to share a bed like it wasn't okay to take a bath together, Yuuno opted for a simpler explanation.

"Because my bed isn't big enough for the three of us."

"Oh… okay…" Vivio relented.

"That may be so," Hayate chimed in. "But you should sleep in your own bed, Yuuno-kun. Since I'm the one intruding I should take the couch."

"What kind of man would I be if I let you sleep on the couch?" Yuuno waved her off. "You and Vivio can have my bed. I'll be just fine sleeping out here."

"Always such a gentleman, Yuuno-kun." Hayate smiled. "Well, that's one of the reasons I like you so much. Okay Vivio, let's go get ready."

"Okay~!"

The two girls went off to brush their teeth while Yuuno grabbed a spare blanket. When the trio was ready, they went to their respective sleeping places.

"Goodnight Yuuno-san!"

"Goodnight, Yuuno-kun!"

"Goodnight Vivio, Hayate." Yuuno sighed as he lay down on the couch. The day had certainly been a crazy one. He just hoped the days to come would be more normal.

* * *

With this chapter I kinda just let whatever was in my head spill out, so it might sound a bit jumbled. I hope it wasn't too bad. I also hope Hayate's actions came off as intended, with her being playful rather than mean.

It should be obvious, but Vivio's text book is apparently the super dictionary. They were also watching Kamen Rider W on TV and Hayate was wearing Rin Tohsaka's pyjamas.

There's no NanoFate scene this chapter because no one took me up on my offer and I couldn't think of any ideas. For the longest time I've always been told that if I want people to pay attention to and like my writing I have to do more NanoFate, so why is it when I do write NanoFate stuff, it gets _less_ attention than my non-NanoFate stuff? People are quick to complain, but when I give them what they want they're nowhere to be seen. Well whatever.


End file.
